84 onl : _ Prince Ahmed
: ee.
but no steps. He walked down with his arrow in his hand. At |
first he thought he.was going into a dark place, but presently a quite
different light succeeded that which he had come out of. Coming
upon a spacious square, fifty or sixty paces distant, he perceived a
magnificent palace; but he had not time to look at it, for at the same
moment a lady of majestic air, and of a beauty to which the richness
of her clothes and the jewels which adorned her person added nothing,
advanced as far as the porch, attended by a troop of ladies, 6f whom
it was difficult to distinguish which was the mistress.

As soon as Prince Ahmed perceived the lady, he hastened to pay
his respects; and the lady, on her part, seeing him coming, was.
beforehand with him. Raising her voice, she said, ‘Come near,
Prince Ahmed; you are welcome.’

It was no small surprise to the prince to hear himself named in a
palace He had never heard of, though so near his father’s capital, and
he could not comprehend how he should be known to a lady who
was a stranger to him. At last he returned the lady’s salutation, by
throwing himself at her feet, and rising up again, said to her,
‘Madam, I return you a thousand thanks for welcoming me to a
place where I had reason to believe my imprudent curiosity had
made me penetrate too far. But, madam, may I, without being
guilty of rudeness, presume to ask you how you know me? and -
why you, who live in the same ee should be so little
known by me?’ : ;

‘Prince, said the lady, “et us go ante the hall; there I ae
gratify your request.’

After these words, fhe: ‘lady led .Prince Ahmed into the hall,
the noble structure of which, and the gold and azure which. em-
bellished the dome, and the inestimable richness of the furniture, —
appeared to him so wonderful that he had never in his life _
beheld anything like it, and believed. that nothing: was to ‘be
compared to it. ‘I can assure you,. replied the lady, ‘ that this is